Boom Drops Overtime Heartbreaker to Vipers, 135-133
G League Noblesville Boom

Boom Drops Overtime Heartbreaker to Vipers, 135-133

Published on February 27, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Noblesville Boom News Release


EDINBURG, Texas - The Noblesville Boom (14-11), the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, fell in overtime to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (16-8), 135-133, on Friday night at Bert Ogden Arena.

M.J. Iraldi erupted for a career-high 36 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, along with three rebounds and three assists. Jalen Slawson (30 points, 11 assists) and Omar El-Sheikh (10 points, 10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles. It was Slawson's fourth 30-point game of the season, while El-Sheikh notched his first career double-double. Cameron Hildreth added 24 points and five assists.

Rio Grande Valley was led by Daishen Nix, who finished with 26 points, 14 assists, five rebounds and four steals. Cameron Matthews followed closely with 25 points and seven rebounds, while Tristen Newton contributed 22 points and six assists.

Noblesville found itself in a 14-point hole (32-18) after early struggles in the opening period. The Boom shot 6-of-17 from the field and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc while committing eight turnovers during the span. The team's 18 points marked its lowest first-quarter scoring performance of the season. Neither team could miss in the second quarter, combining for 87 points on 69.7 percent shooting in the frame. The Boom posted their highest-scoring quarter (45) of the regular season, led by Jamal Bieniemy, who scored all 12 of his points in the period on 4-of-8 shooting from deep to keep the Boom within striking distance at halftime (74-63).

Coming out of the break, Iraldi sparked the Boom with a personal 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to five and forcing the Vipers to burn an early timeout. Rio Grande Valley managed to push its lead back to double figures with 4:14 remaining in the third, but Noblesville closed the quarter on a 17-7 run to even the score at 94-94. In a quarter that saw eight lead changes, the Boom took their first lead of the game early in the fourth but couldn't extend their advantage by more than two points. The Vipers created separation with a 15-6 run to build a nine-point cushion with under five minutes left in regulation. The Boom refused to go away, delivering a slew of clutch baskets - highlighted by a heavily contested step-back three from Slawson to tie the game with under 10 seconds remaining - before forcing a turnover on the ensuing possession to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime session, the Boom pulled within two points of the target score of 135 after Samson Johnson converted a three-point play - his first points of the game - and Slawson knocked down a free throw. With a chance to win it, Iraldi drove to the rim for a potential game-winning layup, but the attempt was blocked, leading to a transition corner three for the Vipers to seal the game.

NEXT UP

The Boom head to Mexico City for a two-game series against the Capitanes, beginning Sunday at Arena CDMX. Coverage will stream live on NBAGLeague.com, with tipoff set for 5:00 p.m. ET.

Tickets and team updates are available at NoblesvilleBoom.com, and fans can stream every game live at NBAGLeague.com.

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NBA G League Stories from February 27, 2026


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